Centrifugal separator



E. D. GRAY.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1920.

1,375,506. 1 Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- 4.3 J9

INVENTOR.

Jay '1 fw ATTORNEY E. D. GRAY.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2. 1920.

1,375,506. Patented Apr. 19, 1921. Ea 2 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN 1). GRAY, or RICHMOND, ALIFCRNIA, ASSIGNOR '10 srANnARn OIL COMPANY or CALIFORNIA, or SAN FRANCISCO, ALIFORNIA, A CQRPORATION or CALI.

FORNIA.

GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATO R.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 19 1921 Application'filed September 2, 1920. Serial No. 407,792.

To all whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN D. GRAY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Richmond, in the" county of Contra Costa, State of California, have invented a certain new and Improved Centrifugal Separator, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to centrifugal separators and particularly to a centrifugal separator which may be used to separate by centrifugal force sulfonic acid or heavy tarry sludge bodies, that have been formed during the treatment of heavy mineral lubricating oil with sulfuric acid, from the treated lubricating oil, or alkaline sludge formed during the alkaline treatment of lubricating oils during their refinement. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, and Fig. 2 a top plan view, and Fig. 3 a diagram of electrical connections.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, 2 indicates a base which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction and form, and has a top central bearing 3 in which the lower end of the shaft 5 is mounted. -This bearing may be of any ordinary or preferred construction. shaft 5 is provided at its upper end with any usual or preferred means of imparting rotation to the shaft from any suitable source of power, such, for instance, as a pulley and belt, (not shown in the drawings). 6 represents a basket connected to the shaft 5 so as to revolve therewith. As shown this basket 6 is composed of an imperforate Cylindrical vertical shell 6 suitably 1 mounted in a base plate 7. Surrounding the shaft 5 is a tube or pipe 7 which extends through the cover of the machine and to the bottom of the basket. The upper end of this pipe above the cover is preferably open and at the lower end of the pipe suitable slots or perforations 8 are provided, opening from the interior of the pipe into the chamber near the basket 6.

Preferably within the basket 6 is provided a lining 9 forming an interior wall of the basket, so that such interior wall slopes outwardly from the bottom of the chamber trifugal action of the machine.

The

perforate cover which is preferably welded to the upper flange 12 of the basket so as to form a tight joint. The form of the cover 1s such that taken in connection with the flared portion 10 of the basket a pocket 13 is formed. This pocket extends circumferentially around the basket and serves to collect the heavy bodies thrown outward against the wall of the basket by the cen- 14 represent one or more discharge pipes which are arranged at the sides of the inlet pipe 7. As shown in the drawings, these pipes are held in place by suitable straos 15 of any preferred construction. The upper end of the p pe or pipes 14 is in open communication wlth the top central portion of the separating chamber formed by the basket 6 and cover 11, and the pipe or pipes 14 are extended down through the bottom or base 7 of the basket and discharge into the discharge chamber 16 from which the oil or other material discharged by the pipe or plpes 14 may be drawn off through the outlet 17 into any conduit or condenser desired. 18 represents a cylindrical vertical flan e or wall depending from the bottom 7 of the basket and sufficient distance below the outlet ends of the pipes 14 so that the oil discharged from the pipes is not wasted by the centrifugal action of the machine, but 1s directed'downward into the chamber 16, which chamber is provided with a top closure or cover 19.

20 represents an outer vertically arranged shell or casing surrounding the machine as thus described, and spaced apart therefrom to form a receiving and discharge chamber for the heavy bodies separated by the machine and discharged into such' surrounding downward into the It is obvious that the form of the machine and its mountings may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction but I have shown these conventionally in the drawings.

24 represents an oil inlet pipe leading from any suitable source of supply to the top of an opening into the pipe 7.

One or more discharge pipes 25 are provided for the dischar e of the heavy bodies separated by the machine. I have shown in the drawings two of such discharge pipes arranged on opposite sides of the shaft 5. The lower ends of these pipes 25 are carried ockets 13 andtheir upper ends are carrie through the cover 11 and into a suitable valve casing 26, communicating through the valve chamber thereof to the discharge pipes 27, the discharge ends of which deliver into the discharge chamber surrounding the basket.

I have indicated in the drawings means whereby the valves of the valve chamber 26 may be controlled; such means consisting of valve operating rods 28 having their inner ends ivotally connected to the shipper arms 29, pivoted at 30 on the cover and provided with counter balance weights 31, and connected by the arms 32 to an oscillating ring 33 mounted on the cover 11. This ring is indicated as controlled by two opposite solenoids 34 by which the valve operating rods may be actuated to open or close the valve chambers 26 as desired. The solenoids 34 are connected-in a suitable circuit with the switch 35, which is actuated by rotation of the shaft 5.

The switch 35 may be of any suitable construction'and one form thereof is constructed as follows: On the shaft 5 is fixed a disk 36 of suitable electrical insulating material, and mounted on the disk are ring contacts 37, 38. Also mounted on the disk are oppositely disposed segmental contacts 39, 40. A wiping contact 41 engages the ring 37 and is mounted on a suitable electrical insulating member 42. Engaging the ring 38 is a wiping contact 43 which is made of sufficient width to also engage contacts 39, 40 alternately as the disk rotates, thus electrically connecting the rings 38 alternately with the contacts 39, 40. The brush 43 is mounted on an electrical insulating member 7 44. Engaging the ring 38 is a brush 45. also mounted on the insulation member 42. The switch parts described above are shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Now referring more particularly to Fig. 3 the electrical connections of the switch are as follows: The contact 39 is connected by a wire 46 with one of the solenoids 34 and the contact 40 is connected by a wire 47 with the other solenoid '34. Both solenoids 34 are connected by a wire 48 to the ring contact 37. The wiping contact 41 is connected by a wire 49 to a manual switch 50 which is connected by a wire 51 to an electric current source 52 that, in turn, is connected by a Wire 53 .to the wiping contact 45.

It is obvious t closed and the shaft 5 is rotating, first one solenoid and then the other will be energized so as to turn the oscillating ring 33 first in one direction and then in the opposite dlrection.

I claim as my invention:

1. A centrifugal separator having a driving shaft, a bowl concentric to and rotat ng therewith, and having a closed top form ng a closed separating chamber, an inlet 1pe surrounding said shaft and exten lng through the top of said bowl to the bottom thereof, and communicating into said chamber at the bottom thereof, an outlet pipe arranged alongside said inlet pipe and extending from near the top of said chamber down through said chamber and through the bottom of said bowl, a discharge chamber into which said outlet pipe communicates, a casing spaced apart from and surrounding said bowl, and provided with an outlet, the top of said bowl pro vided with an outlet near its outer edge communicating into the chamber of the casing surrounding said bowl.-

2. A centrifugal separator having a driving shaft, a bowl concentric to and rotating therewith, and having a closed top forming a closed separating chamber, an annular peripheral pocket formed at the top of the bowl and in open communication with the chamber of said bowl, an inlet pipe surrounding said shaft and extending through the top of said bowl to the bottom thereof, and communicating into said chamber at the bottom thereof, an outlet pine arat, when the switch 50 is ranged alongside said inlet pipe and ex tending from above the level of said pocket down through said chamber and through the bottom of said bowl, a discharge chamher into which said inlet pipe communicates, a casing spaced apart from and surrounding said how] provided with an outlet, and the top of said bowl provided with an outlet near its outer edge and communicating 1isitolthe chamber of said casing outside said 3. A centrifugal separator having a bowl provided with a peripheral pocket at its top and with a top forming a closed chamber, an axial inlet pipe communicating into said chamber near the bottom thereof, an outlet pipe arranged alongside said inlet ipe and extending from open communication into.

municating from said pocket to said bowl surrounding chamber.

4. A centrifugal separator having a bowl provided with a peripheral pocket at its top and with a top forming a closed chamber, an axial inlet pipe communicating into said chamber near the bottom thereof, an outlet pipe arranged alongside said inlet pipe and extending from open communication into said chamber at a point above the level of said pocket down through the bottom of the bowl and discharging underneath the bowl, a casing surrounding and forming a chamber about said bowl, an outlet therefrom, the top of said bowl provided with an outlet near its outer edge and communicating from said pocket to said bowl surrounding chamber, and valve means for opening and closing said last named outlet.

5. A centrifugal separator having a bowl provided with a peripheral pocket at Its top and with a top forming a closed chamber, an axial inlet pipe communicating into said chamber, near the bottom thereof, a substantially axially outlet pipe leadmg from said chamber, from a pomt above the level of said pocket, the top of said bowl provided with an outlet near its outer edge,

and an outlet chamber forming casing outside said bowl into which said last named outlet communicates.

Signed at Richmond, California, this 18th dayoif August, 1920.

EDWIN D. GRAY.

In presence of- FREDERICK S. LYON, JOHN B. TERRY. 

